Korea Now

Experience the Liveliness January 25, 2024

Venues in Seoul providing the excitement of soccer culture

SOCCER IN Korea is enjoy unparalleled popularity. The recent rise of soccer stars such as Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, and Cho Gyu-sung along with more recognition of domestic clubs and their players have solidified the sport as an important cultural trend. The Korea Professional Football League announced that the K League, Korea’s domestic soccer league, recorded an accumulation of 2 million viewers this season, with an average of approximately 15,000 per match.[1] This number is the highest since 2013, evidencing the ascendancy of domestic soccer culture. Amidst such ongoing interest in the sport, *The Yonsei Annals* selected several venues around Seoul where individuals can feel the charm of soccer culture with ease.

Opus: Beer with a ball

It is often difficult to find a venue in Seoul where individuals gather to cheer for soccer matches. Although the concept and interior design are somewhat different from the common European soccer pubs, *Opus* is one of the few places in Seoul that mainly focuses on watching such games with refreshing drinks. Located on the right side of Yonsei-ro, the pub was created by a fervent fan of FC Seoul. Such ardor can be felt right after entering; uniforms and club banners fill the walls and provide colorful stimulation, which combines with the yellow lighting to create a sportive atmosphere. A vast screen standing firmly on one wall constantly displays live broadcasts of soccer games, as if declaring to the visitors that the venue is indeed an appropriate place to enjoy the sport.

The attractiveness of Opus is not only due to the fact that it is an adequate place to view a game or two. Rather, the meticulous details of the interior that change for each broadcasted match in the pub add a unique reason to visit the place. For big games such as World Cup matches or finals of celebrated tournaments, Opus decorates its space with related posters and goods. Seats full of visitors wearing uniforms for their teams harmonize with such extravagant details to create an atmosphere indistinguishable from that of local venues in Europe. Furthermore, the pub’s appeal is not limited to just those who are dedicated to soccer culture; the offer of authentic beers such as Efes and Indica IPA is an additional incentive to visit the pub. In this sense, the experience will be memorable for both passionate soccer fans and those who are curious about the culture.

Address: Yonsei-ro 7 gil 18, 2F, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
Operating hours: 18:00-04:00

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SHIN JUNG-YEOP

Seoul World Cup Stadium Tour: All about the game

Stadium tours are rarely recognized in Korea compared to the renowned programs of various clubs in Europe. However, there exists a special opportunity to intimately witness the grounds of the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the largest and most iconic soccer arena in Korea. Two on-the-spot and two VR tours are operated every day[2], allowing a direct experience of matches from the players’ perspectives. By stepping on the grass field, walking through locker rooms used by the professional club FC Seoul, and entering a warming-up room built for players to train before every game, visitors can seize a rare opportunity to view the game from a different aspect.

This article was contributed by Yonsei University's student-led English monthly, The Yonsei Annals, written by its reporter Shin Jung-yeop.

Read the full article at the Yonsei Annals' website: http://annals.yonsei.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=11133

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